Duck dog Where to start?

One of my family members has offered me a registered lab pup ( pick of the litter) for free . I have never trained a duck dog before and don't really know where to start . Male or female ? Training aids ? Books , videos ? Any help would be greatly appreciated ! I still have time to prepare be fore she has the pups.

I would suggest an immediate trip to a Barnes and Noble or library at the least. There are plenty of good dog books out there, and many have their own guidelines to abide by when training your dog. 10 minute Retriever is a solid book that can give you quick overview of the general idea of training dogs, and also, should you choose to follow it, can guide you to training your pup. Regardless of which methodology you choose, the main things you should always do is 1) BE CONSISTENT 2) READ YOUR DOG'S BODY LANGUAGE (PAY ATTENTION) 3) DON'T GET LAZY WITH CORRECTIONS OR POSITIVE REINFORCEMENTS 4) DON'T BE AFRAID TO INTRODUCE YOUR DOG TO NEW THINGS - let your pup learn on it's own, there will be plenty of time to rein in it's curiosity and enthusiasm later.

I highly recommend the book "Retriever Training" by Jim and Phyllis Dobbs. The book goes into detail about every single step to train your dog from a pup all the way to a finished retriever if that is what you are looking for. I have used this book as a guideline for all of the dogs that I train. And like someone said on the previous response, be sure to pay attention to your dogs behavior and how it reacts to corrections. Some dogs are just naturally softer hearted than others. With this being your first go at it, I would highly recommend picking a Male. Males tend to take pressure better than females. The most important thing is to not get in a rush with anything. I've had some dogs have no interest in picking up a bumper until they were 6 or 7 months old. I hope some of this helps you and would be glad to help if you have any questions along the way. Good luck and have fun with the new puppy!

Thank you simar35 !! Iam sure I will have many questions later ,I just want a good well behaved hunting companion to fetch a few duck for me. It just makes me a little nervous cause I don't need a hyper backyard pet for my son to play with I need a working retriever !

The book even starts off on how to pick a puppy. The hyperness will start to fade away with age, usually by the time they get to two years old they tend to lose some of that puppy hyperness. Either way, labs make great family pets and are generally very good around children especially when they grow up around them. The only way you can really ruin a retriever is to push training too hard too fast if he isnt ready to learn and is punished for it through discipline. Take your time and let him be a puppy for a while if he doesnt show intrest and you will be just fine.

A word of caution, "AKC registered lab pup" can mean anything from a hard driven workaholic to a couch potato with 2 bad hips. Labs, and goldens for that matter, tend to come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and temperments. Do your relatives have a pedigree or health clearances for the male or female? are there any hunt test or field trial dogs listed on those pedigrees?

The best trainer in the world can do little to motivate an unmotivated dog.

Swamper is exactly right. you need to start with a flying dog.

Free puppies are great. They give you a chance to hone your training skills for a somewhat reduced price (you'll still have vet bills and food costs).

However if this is a dog your family will get attached to, and you can't just give away in a year when it turns out to be a "hyper back yard pet" or worse an unmotivated lump on your carpet, you may want to consider other options.